happihorse's journey to mortgage freedom and contentment…

happihorse

savingholmes said:

Well done - sounds like you are really getting thing sorted. Glad you had a good time with your friend. Good luck with Slimming World. I need to do something similar... 

Thanks savingholmes.

I would say go for it - I am really impressed so far as I haven't really been depriving myself or going hungry so seems like a much more sustainable solution.

happihorse

So glad it's nearly the weekend (and we are over the worst month of year work-wise)!

I will do my monthly round up tomorrow but it's been quite a good week so far.  Did a lot of extra work Monday which has meant the rest of the week has been more pleasant and manageable.

Broadly sticking to the Slimming World plan (with the exception of one meal out this week) and lost a whopping 8 pounds in the first week.  I do realise that the first week is the easiest in terms of weight loss but I am really pleased with that and am learning more about how to follow the plan without eating the same things all the time.  Need to spend some more time on that over the weekend and prepping some more food.  It's also having a massive impact on my grocery spending.    If I stick at this I could be back horse riding by around June 2022 which is a great incentive (and will help to shed the pounds too)!

Also been out walking most days and only a little bit behind on my plan to walk 1,000 miles this year.  Done my 60 active minutes and 10,000 steps most days too.

It's probably a combination of the above plus the better weather and spending time with my *special* friend but I seem to have turned a bit of a corner in terms of my mental state and getting out of the rut I was in.  Really want to maintain momentum in that regard so will press on doing what I am doing and stick to it.

Not so great in money news.  Looking a little bit dire but do have a plan.  Moving some Premium Bonds across after the draw tomorrow so I can get straight and then bonus pay in a few weeks so will be able to get more organised (and re-pay the savings).

Hope everyone is having a good week and looking forward to the weekend!

savingholmes

Great news on that 8lb weightloss. That's phenomenal! Glad you are feeling better MH wise. Good you have horse riding to look forward to as well. Sounds important to you.

happihorse

savingholmes said:

Great news on that 8lb weightloss. That's phenomenal! Glad you are feeling better MH wise. Good you have horse riding to look forward to as well. Sounds important to you.

Thanks savingholmes.

I am really pleased with the progress and, whilst I can't see any difference yet, it is good to feel less bloated with so much more energy.  I don't think I realised how bad over-eating was making me feel and how the type of food you eat affects you in.

happihorse

Another month has flown by so (slightly late) monthly sum up as follows:

Mortgage:
- Starting balance                                     £289,980.00
- Current outstanding balance                  £265,417.71
- Amount repaid                                        £24,562.29 (8.5%)

Savings                                                     £31,000

Credit card debt                                        £400.38 (£1,600 paid off last week)

It was a pretty spending month (largely due to some poor planning on my part and frivolous spending).  I did manage to make my usual overpayment to the mortgage but ended up taking another £1,500 out of Premium Bonds to cover all the bills.    It's bonus payday this month so will be making a plan about how best to use that to get straight.  I have also increased my pension contribution by 12% from this month so will need to re-work the budget and make sure things are achievable going forwards.

In terms of other goals:

Mortgage free within 10 years – going okay but need to review the plan taking into account the increased pension contributions and reflecting and pay rise I get

Getting healthier, fitter and losing weight – joined Slimming World and had a really good couple of weeks with 8 pounds lost in the first week (and weigh in tomorrow) plus been much more active and only missed a couple of days step and active minutes targets

Establishing a better work/life balance – did more hours last month but that is to be expected given how busy we are but should settle down again soon

Get back into horse riding – still on the back burner but seem to be getting myself into a better place and can see this happening in a couple of months if I stick to my current diet and exercise regime 

Being less wasteful (particularly with money but across other areas of my life too) – had a better month food wise with more planning and less waste (and even did some batch cooking to make sure I have a supply of healthy and low waste meals) but money frittering has been quite bad still

Making my new house the home I want it to be – ideas still coming and am aiming to get going on my first garden project in the next month or so

happihorse

I have been meaning to do my monthly update since Friday but only got round to it today!    Partly because it's not been a great month money wise and partly because I have been doing lots of other (largely positive) things!

I spent a couple of evenings batch cooking so now have about a dozen home-made and healthy 'ready-meals' in the freezer - red lentil dhal, mixed bean chilli and cauliflower curry. 

Also been out for a nice long walk after work each day. 

Money news is not so great and I am just waiting for my bonus to get more organised.  My energy bill landed and, whilst it covers a longer time period than my last one, the amount had doubled.    I will be cutting down on heating a bit to make sure I am not over-spending going forwards.  When my bonus comes in I will clear my everyday credit card (leaving my stoozing card on minimum payment until the interest free period expires) and re-pay my Premium Bonds (hopefully getting back up to £35k).  I'd then like to leave a £1,000 buffer in my current account and split any remaining between a mortgage overpayment and maybe some treats for me and / or the house.

My pension contribution will increase by 12% this month so I need to re-work my budget to reflect this and the increases in other bills.  My current budget isn't sustainable (evidenced by the fact that I have only been getting by because I have been drawing out of my Premium Bonds ) so need to correct that.  I am hopeful that, between a pay rise next month and the reduced food bill (from eating more healthily and sensibly), I will be able to get a better balance and still put some money aside to get back into horse riding.

Onwards and upwards (or downwards in the case of the mortgage hopefully)! 

savingholmes

Hope weigh in goes well. 

Good luck with the bonus and topping your PBs back up. Great progress overall.

South_coast

happihorse said:

Onwards and upwards (or downwards in the case of the mortgage hopefully)! 

And the weight loss 🤞😀

Well done on the batch cooking - especially for squeezing it into your evenings, I never manage to achieve anything with mine!

happihorse

savingholmes said:

Hope weigh in goes well. 

Good luck with the bonus and topping your PBs back up. Great progress overall.

Thanks savingholmes.

It's sometimes difficult to see the bigger picture but I suppose it wasn't too bad overall.  Will be happier when I have a better idea of budget etc but will nail that this month now I know what the figures etc will be.

happihorse

South_coast said:

happihorse said:

Onwards and upwards (or downwards in the case of the mortgage hopefully)! 

And the weight loss 🤞😀

Well done on the batch cooking - especially for squeezing it into your evenings, I never manage to achieve anything with mine!

Hi South_coast - good to see you back!   

Very true re the weight loss.

I surprised myself with the evening batch cooking.  I had just come back from a long walk and got stuck in but by the time I went to bed my knees were burning from being on my feet so long.  Luckily they were as right as rain again in the morning!